It's Not Always Forever
by Vany
Summary: Scarlet hates the country, she hates kids, AND she hates her new home, at least until she makes friends with the townspeople. Helping to unravel the mystery of the Mineral Town deaths, Scarlet learns the horrible truth that will surely haunt her for the r
1. Chapter 1

It's Not Always Forever 

Chapter One – The Move

Spring 1 – Tuesday

"But Mom, I don't want to move to Mineral Town!"

That was how this all began. My parents and I were moving from the big city to some backwater town in the middle of nowhere. My life as a teenager was officially over. I mean, look at what living out here would do to my social life- not to mention my skin!

As we unpacked the car, I walked through the metal archway that read 'Fargrieve Farm'. Yep, this was where my grandfather had lived, at least until my grandmother had died.

"There's probably no one my age! They're probably all _old_ and… blehh!" I cried in distress, what is that gonna do to make my parents rethink this? Nothing, that's what.

"Now, sweetheart, your grandparents were old, and they had me when I was growing up here," my mother tried to comfort me.

"Yeah, and now _we_ have _you_. So don't you think anyone else in this town had children?" my dad pitched in. I knew he was trying to help, but this conversation was not making me feel better.

"Yeah, whatever," I mumbled, unpacking my things. As I pushed open the front door, my jaw dropped in shock. "Mom! Dad! Come here, quick!" They ran forward, dropping what they held, and looked in the house.

"What's the matter, honey?" my mom asked in concern, peering into the house. Did she not see it? Was she blind? Could she not possibly see the horror that lay right before her eyes?

"M-mom," I said with the straightest voice I could muster, "there's only one room." My parents looked at me in wonder, and my dad decided to take a closer look.

"Hmm, honey, why is that?" he asked in genuine confusion, "And there's no kitchen! What kind of house is this?" he said angrily, rounding on my mother. She only laughed.

"Well, I didn't know you expected our old house all over again. My parents were good friends with the innkeeper, so we ate out every night. I'd expect Doug has gotten older by now. Aha, we should go visit them. Maybe as a nice welcome back gift, they'll treat us to dinner tonight!"

"Or maybe he won't remember you and will kick you out when he realizes that you're asking for free food," I said quietly. It was enough to shut my parents up for a minute.

"Are they open on Tuesdays?" my dad asked.

"They're open every day," my mom replied, "well except holidays, of course. This town, last I was here, was very close knit. I think we'll fit in great!" That was my mother, always the optimist.

"Yeah… right," I mumbled under my breath. I had a very bad feeling about this town, but I was hesitant to tell this to my parents. This move meant so much to them, and I didn't want to bum them out.

Ten minutes later, all the things were out of the car and piled in the house, boxes and bags were piled up, almost making look as if the house were close to bursting.

"Man, I'm hungry," my dad said. He always thought with his stomach. The doorbell suddenly rang, making me jump. I was so under the impression that this place was a ghost town that it seemed strange that anyone would even be there to visit.

I answered it. There was a tall and burly man with a beard standing at the door, wearing jeans and a T-shirt that showed off his numerous muscles. "Hey, uh, the mayor told me that you guys moved here," he said, somewhat quietly. Funny, he looked like a louder guy.

"Uh, yeah. We did. What's it to you?" I said, always the instigator.

"Gotz!" my mother squealed happily. Nearly throwing me aside, she gave the tall figure a hug. "Remember me? It's me, Kathy!"

It took Gotz a minute to register what my mom had just said, but when he did, he began chatting with her excitedly. My dad even joined in. It was sickening, seeing adults chatting like little children.

Soon after the introductions, Gotz grabbed my mom by her shoulders and said excitedly, "I'll go tell the town that you're here, and we can all meet at the inn for a feast!" My parents were delighted.

I, however, was not.

An hour later, we were walking down a little dirt path to the pile of junk that they called a town. It was disgusting, how there were no paved roads, and not a car in sight. Even bikes were scarce. All that reassured me of was that the town was so small, EVERYTHING was within walking distance. My parents ignored me on the walk into town.

I was used to it, so it didn't really bother me.

The inn must have been the biggest building in town, save the church, whose steeple was visible from our farm. As I walked in, I saw perhaps thirty people. Leaning over to my mom, I asked quietly, "Is this… the town?" She nodded and I heaved a huge sigh of annoyance.

"Welcome back, Kathryn!" the mayor said happily as he ran forward, "Mineral Town would like to celebrate your return by treating you all to dinner, which was cooked up by our very own Doug!" A pudgy redheaded man smiled warmly and waved.

"I trust you know everyone here, Kathryn?" the mayor asked.

My mother scanned the waiting crowd and furrowed her brows. "There are a few new faces, mostly the young ones," she laughed, "but I suppose we'll all get to know each other in time!" My father nudged my mother and indicated that I was still present.

"Huh? Oh, yes! I almost forgot!" she cried, "This is my daughter, Scarlet! She was born after I left Mineral Town, so she'd be about the age of all the other young ladies in the room, I suppose." As my family was bombarded with questions, I managed to stay far enough out of the way so I was not bothered.

As I edged away from the crowd, I saw a boy standing off to the side. He looked lost and abandoned, like an unused toy that was thrown into a corner and forgotten. "Hey," I started, "what's your name?"

He looked up at me with the most depressed look I had ever seen in the eyes of a teenager and said one word, "Cliff." As he shuffled away, I couldn't help but feel pity for him. Of course, it also took me a moment to assert that he was not insinuating that he was going to 'jump off a cliff'. His eyes made it seem as though he wanted to.

"Let the feasting begin!" someone cried, and I realized that it was the mayor. That little man didn't look like he would have such a large voice. I made my own way to the tables and sat near my parents. All the tables were tightly packed, and some people had to stand, but as refreshments and plates of food were handed out, the town housewives made their way to my mom.

"Oh, Kathryn!" one cried, "It's been so long! Remember me?"

"Manna!" Mom squealed, "Oh, Manna, dear! How have you been?"

Most of the conversations revolved around what had happened the eighteen odd years that she had been gone, but when Doug walked up, my mom took the reins of the topics of gossip.

Giving him a hug, she began to talk eagerly to him. I was under the impression that they had been the best of childhood friends. "So… where's Lynn?" she asked excitedly, "I heard that you two were going to get married just before I left town!" Doug's face changed to utterly broken in a fraction of a second.

"She, uh, she passed away a few years after our daughter was born," he said sadly. My mother looked embarrassed at having brought up such a sore subject. "My daughter, Ann," he pointed to a redheaded girl that was trying to talk to the 'Cliff' boy, "doesn't even remember her. She helps me get through the day. She has her mother's smile, you know."

I felt suddenly guilty. I had suddenly realized how significant they all really were. I had been thinking that they all were just hicks with no real lives, but now I saw that even the innkeeper had more of a life than I would have ever hoped to have.

"How about the other children?" my father asked, with a side-glance at me, "Could you tell us who they are?"

"Oh, that's Karen," Manna pointed at a girl with long brown hair, "she's Sasha's and Jeff's…" breaking off, she looked at the other side of the room, "That little cutie is Mary, she runs the town library. Such a quiet girl really; Saibara let his grandson move here from the city, his name is Gray. He's very quiet too, as a matter of fact…"

Everyone seemed to go into a stupor as Manna droned on and on about families and romances, and marriages and even cattle. I just grew sick of it. "Who's the dork?" I asked, indicating a young man wearing a green turtleneck with khaki cords and an apron. He looked like, dare I even think it, the Dorkanator. He would have looked better in a white shirt and tie with a pocket protector and braces. His glasses were insanely large, but his eyes were the most beautiful blue I had ever seen. I was not going to say that though, not after calling him a dork.

"That's my son, Rick… My daughter, Popuri, is over there, talking with Ann," a woman with bushy pink hair said sadly, "Their father left to find a desert plant that would cure me. I wish he had stayed, though… We really need him here."

Oops. Sorry, lady. Just like my mother, I had 'foot-in-mouth' disorder. Just as I was about to ask about a girl on the other side of the room wearing an apron with a blue dress, my mother asked excitedly, all the while nudging me, "Who's that young man over there?"

All the adults standing around us turned their heads and saw exactly whom she was pointing at. He was tall, dark and handsome. He wore a long lab coat, and white pants. His hair was as jet black as his eyes, and he wore a mirror on his head. I didn't even need to ask his occupation.

"That's Dr. Walden's son…" the pink-haired woman whispered, "Don't you remember him?"

My mom nodded. "Dr. Walden's son? Doctor? He was only a little boy when I left here; how old would be now, Lillia? Twenty-two, twenty-three? I remember when he was just a little tyke… I never thought that he would grow to be such a handsome man…" My father cleared his throat and my mother laughed nervously.

Lillia sighed and continued, "Dr. Walden… He and his wife died a few years ago, and he took over the family practice. Poor boy, he never really wanted to be a doctor, but his father felt it was in his blood."

"In his blood?" Doug said darkly, "That man named his son 'Doctor'! If you ask me, the Waldens were a strange bunch… Forced his boy into the practice… what was it he wanted to be?"

"A writer, I believe. Either that or an artist," Manna chimed in, "I can't really remember. All I know is that it was a real waste of talent. He was only twelve when he was accepted into an art college, but his father wouldn't hear of it! He wanted to go to an art college so badly, and he had even won enough scholarships to make it through four full years, but his father said no and forced him to learn the family practice at home. Then, Doctor did what any child would do, and ran away. They went out and found him on Mother's Peak, staring at the sky. Say, didn't Dr. Walden start having heart problems when they brought him back?" she asked.

"I think so… he sort of went screwy after awhile, but we all thought everything was perfectly fine, until one morning, we walked into the clinic and saw Doctor crying over their bodies. He was mumbling over and over about how he couldn't save them…" Doug mumbled.

"They died from heart attacks, didn't they?" Lillia asked.

"Yeah…" another woman chimed in, "We managed to calm Doctor down and ever since then, he's been a really sweet guy. I don't exactly like him, per se, but he's always been kind to us all. There is something about him, though…"

"Sasha's got a point…" Lillia sighed, "the poor man has to act as not only a doctor, but as a vet. All the pressure builds up, having everyone's life depend on you like that. Sometimes, the stress really seems to get to him and he goes into a sort of slump; he does his job, but there's an apathetic sort of air around him…"

Sasha whispered, "It isn't that that bothers me. It's how he reacts to deaths in the town…" We all leaned in nervously, even though we could hear her perfectly.

"Does he act strangely when there's a death?" my mom asked.

"It isn't that…" Sasha said quietly, "he doesn't act at all."

"What?" I said before I could stop myself.

"It's as though nothing had happened. It was the same way with his parents. After they died, he didn't really even seem to care. Call me paranoid, but he just irks me. That's all…" Sasha whispered.

Before I knew what I was even saying, it seemed to burst forth from my chest. "Don't blame him, I mean, his parents died when he was just a kid. It seems as though you're accusing him of being weird or something, but he's probably just a really nice guy that's trying look for someone to fill the void!" Everyone around us seemed to fall silent after I had finished ranting.

"Well, I sure can tell that she's your girl, Kathy!" Doug laughed nervously. Everyone in the inn, the adults at least, broke into nervous chuckles. Doug jerked his head towards the other side of the room, all the while looking at me. I looked up towards where he indicated.

Doctor was looking right at me, his head cocked to the side slightly. Then it hit me: he knew that I was talking about him. I saw him glance edgily at my parents, then the townspeople nearby us. His black eyes narrowed slightly, giving an air of opacity.

I could not move; I could not breathe, nor did it seem any of the others could as well. As Doctor slid off of his stool and walked towards the door of the inn, everyone inside seemed to avoid any sort of eye contact with him, except for me.

"I'll be leaving now," he said in mock cheerfulness. As he gave the room one final viewing, I saw his eyes meet my own. They crinkled into a warm smile. "Goodnight," he said quietly. As I raised my hand to wave a goodbye, he walked out the door and slammed it.

It seemed as though the whole room breathed a sigh of relief. As Doug went to clean up Doctor's drink, my mother looked at me reproachfully. Manna, however, tucked her hair behind her ear and whispered, "I think he likes _you_." I tried to smile, but it must have looked like a grimace.

"We should be getting home," said a little man in a white shirt, his hair slicked back, "Sasha, Karen, let's get going."

"Coming, Jeff," Sasha sighed, "Karen, dear, let's get going." Karen followed her mother, waving goodbye to Rick as she left. He waved halfheartedly, and I saw that he was glancing towards me.

Lillia rubbed her forehead and said her good-byes, walking towards her son and daughter. They walked on either side of her as they, too, left the inn. Soon after, every one of the villagers followed suit, except for Doug and his daughter.

"It was wonderful to see you again, Kathy," Doug said kindly, giving my mother a warm embrace, "and it was great meeting you, Bill," he said to my father. "And Scarlet," he turned to me, "don't be a stranger. You are always welcome here. I'm sure you and Ann will get along fine, along with all the other young people. Feel free to drop in whenever, because it's on the house." I was amazed at the show of southern hospitality as I shook his hand.

My parents walked towards the door, but I lagged behind, watching as Ann began to sweep the floor. Doug was picking up plates and taking them to the back of the room. Ann watched me curiously as I turned towards my parents and said, "I'll be home in a little bit, okay?" They consented, and I began to pick the plates up.

"You don't have to do this," Ann objected, "we do this for a living, after all." I glanced up and smiled sadly.

"You didn't get any money for tonight, though, so I figured this is the least I could do." Ann couldn't seem to come up with any kind of counter, though, and let me continue. When Doug came back from the kitchen, he nearly dropped the mop and bucket he was carrying.

"You shouldn't be here," he said cautiously, "wild dogs come out at night, and you wouldn't want to get attacked."

"I'm just going to help you two clean up the inn, and then I'll get back home, I promise," I told him. He chuckled to himself and put the bucket on the floor.

"You any good with a mop?" he asked. I smiled and nodded, taking the mop. After a couple of dunks in the bucket, the floor was looking much better, and the two people watching me seemed surprised.

"I'll take it from here, Scarlet," Ann said appreciatively, "You know, when I saw you, I thought you were some city bumpkin with no taste for good hard work. I guess I really was wrong about you." I laughed.

"Well, we're living on a farm now, so I had better get used to it sooner or later. Also, I just wanted to help. I had the major wrong impression about you guys too," I said tiredly.

"At least you didn't think we were just hicks with no lives, isn't that right, Ann?" Doug chuckled, but he laughed even harder at the look on my face, which gave it all away.

"You're a good kid," he said quietly. Ann seemed to be beaming at me. "It would be a shame for that to go to waste, so don't ever hesitate to talk to anyone here. You're part of the family now."

"Family?" I asked sarcastically.

"We're a very small town, so everyone here is so close, it is as though we are a family, and kid, you're in it," he said. As I went to give Ann the mop, Doug seemed to be deep in thought.

"Of course," he began, "there is always a black sheep in any family…" I half expected him to go on ranting about Doctor, but I was only half-wrong in that assumption. "I wanted to apologize though, for what we all were saying about Doctor earlier. The whole story is true, but I think we have all jumped to conclusions about him. You were just what we needed to think twice about that. I'll admit, I don't feel as comfortable about him as I could," Doug paused to sigh, "but there is still the chance that you could be right about him.

"I think it'll take awhile for everyone to warm up to your point of view, but maybe if you could help everyone see the good side of him, then we'd all feel much better, including Doctor," Doug said exhaustedly.

"Dad," Ann began, "are you telling Scarlet that she should hook up with Doctor?" I started, understanding now what he had been implying.

"Well…" Doug broke off, shrugging in dull agreement, "yeah, I think it would be a good idea. I-I mean, you know, after everything that's happened to him, he could probably use a special someone whom wouldn't be afraid to get close to him. Elli has showed an interest, but you can tell that she feels a little uncomfortable around him, just like everyone else."

"All right," I said. Doug smiled. "I'm not making any promises, I mean, we might not even hook up, but I'll try to make friends with him."

I was escorted to the door a few minutes later by the father and daughter. "Thank you so much for all your help," Ann said.

"Are you sure you don't need one of us to walk you home? We'd be glad to, so don't feel put off by feeling like a burden," Doug asked. I shook my head and replied that I would be perfectly fine. "Suit yourself," he said quietly, "but be careful out there. There's more than wild dogs out there."

They shut the door behind me as I left, and I heaved a sigh of comfort. The cool night air felt so wonderful on my face and arms, and the stars were perfectly visible in the night sky. There was obviously little to no pollution anywhere nearby. As I walked down the road, I came to a fork.

Uh-oh, I thought. It had been so long since I had even seen the road, and I had seen it only once at that, I had forgotten the way back home. Neither of the paths looked all that familiar in the dark, so I simply turned left. After a minute or two things started to look bad. I realized that I had gone the wrong way, but it was only nine at night, I mean, someone should have still been awake. I would have to just ask for directions.

The major question was which place should I disturb? It seemed as though everyone in this small town went to bed awful early. I didn't blame them, though. They all seemed to work pretty hard. Just as I was about to turn back, I saw a light. It was like a beacon of hope. I ran towards it.

It was on the second floor of a white building. I sighed in relief and went to knock on the door, but then I gasped in shock. The door read, 'Clinic Hours: 9AM-4PM; Closed Wednesdays'. Oops. I immediately turned and went back to the road. I looked back the way I had come, then to the left and right.

To my left was the church; to the right, one lone street lamp that had burnt out, but past that, everything was dark, impossible to see. Ahead of me, the direction I had come from, I could see a vague light, but the fog obscured my vision past twenty feet in every direction.

I sighed and glanced towards the church. I was pretty sure that the candles that were lit in the windows were for show only. What was I going to do now? As I began to walk straight again, I heard something behind me.

I turned towards the sound and saw a pale figure locking the door to the clinic. I was far too curious to walk away, so I kept my eyes on the person. As he turned around, though, I recognized him.

"You looking for something?" Doctor asked me as he put his keys in his pocket. So it was his light that had been on; he must have seen me walking down the road and come to check on me.

"Oh, I was just walking home. I stayed after to help Ann and Doug clean up after the party," I said nervously. He only laughed.

"Well you went in the totally opposite direction of your house. Are you sure you weren't looking for something else?" he asked softly.

"I don't know my way around this town. I was just trying to get home," I insisted. It was the truth after all, but I knew what he was hinting at.

"All right then," he laughed, "can I walk you home?" His black eyes seemed to burn into my own. I nodded and he beckoned for me to follow.

After we had walked a few minutes, he slowed his pace and asked, "They were talking about me, weren't they?" I had no clue what to say; I was utterly speechless. He looked over at me, "Well?"

I nodded silently. He gave a 'tsk' and a sigh and said, "I really appreciate what you said though. I don't know why everyone here seems to hate me so much, but I really wish it would all stop. Thanks, uh…"

"Scarlet," I responded instinctively. It was all I could do to keep from blushing. He was so handsome, and he was looking at me… with bedroom eyes! Wow, I thought, how could this happen to me?

"Here we are," he said quietly. I could tell that he was no longer looking at me. Sure enough, I looked up and saw the familiar metal arch that read 'Fargrieve Farm'. I looked towards him and smiled.

"Thanks for walking me home," I said softly. Our faces inched closer.

"Thanks for sticking up for me in front of those jerks," he whispered. I shut my eyes… and pulled away.

"Please don't talk about my parents like that," I mumbled as I turned away from him. He looked a little cross at having been stopped from the 'imminent kiss'.

"You're parents were talking about me?" he asked coldly.

"As was the whole town, Doctor. You know, I really need to get home," I said angrily, "you should too. Wild dogs come out at night."

He laughed as thought he couldn't believe what was going on.

"Home?" he cried out as he walked away from me backwards. He put his hands in the air, "What home?"

I let out a small shriek of frustration and stomped away. I knew it was not his fault that I was frustrated. The town was awful rude to talk about him while he was there. I realized that I was utterly in the wrong. As I made it to the door, I pounded my fist on the wall and muttered, "Damn, I was about to make out with him, too!"

The front door opened. It was my father.  
"Scarlet!" he cried, "I've been worried about you, and so has your mother! Come on in and grab your things."

"What?" I asked edgily.

"Oh," he said belatedly, "you don't mind sleeping in the shed, do you? It's pretty well insulated. It's sort of a guestroom. That way, you won't need to put up with sharing a bed with us, right?" He had a point.

Five minutes later, I kicked open the door to the shed and flicked on the light. Much to my surprise, it was fully furnished, with a window and everything. It was almost as large as that actual house! In all honesty, it made up for the missed kiss double the value.

"Score!" I cried, jumping onto the bed. It was freshly made thanks to my mother and her quick thinking. They were my favorite sheets, too, with little sheep on them. I changed into my matching sheep pajamas and flicked off the light.

As I curled up in my new bed, and my new room, flashes of the day seemed to engulf my fading waking moments. My eyes finally shut as I saw Doctor leaving the inn, and smiling at me.

Yet, that memory just didn't do the dreams justice.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two – The Departed 

Spring 2 – Wednesday

It might have been my alarm clock that woke me up, or it might have been Scruffy. I climbed out of bed and flung open the door to my 'room'. Scruffy stood barking, her hackles raised. I ran towards her, wondering all the while what was going on.

"Scruffy? What's the matter, girl?" I asked, stroking her head. She whimpered and backed away from me, like she always does whenever something is wrong. I looked around wildly. What could be wrong? We kept no livestock, and we had nothing of any real value here on our land. Besides, no one in this small town would even dream of stealing, right?

I ran back and into the house. "Mom, Dad!" I cried, "Something's wrong with Scruffy!" No one answered. No one was even in the house. I gasped and ran back out to Scruffy.

"Girl, what's the matter?" I asked wildly, "What happened? Where's Mom and Dad?" Of course I received no answer, but she did continue barking towards the forest.

Without another thought, I ran like mad toward the forest. Scruffy decided to lead the way. She came to a fork in the road and began sniffing. Without any further hesitation, she began to sprint straight ahead, and I followed. She led me through a path of dark and ominous trees, right to a large lake. On the far side of the lake, I saw something that I couldn't entirely comprehend.

Scruffy seemed to slow as she reached the opposite side of the lake, as did my pace. I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

Doctor was on his knees beside the lifeless bodies of my parents. He had no expression on his face whatsoever, and seemed to be in a trance.

"Mom! Dad!" I screamed, throwing myself to the ground.

"Scarlet," Doctor said, looking up. He seemed to have barely recognized me. "I… I'm sorry."

I paid no attention to him, focusing only on the two bodies in front of him. Shaking my mother fiercely, I desperately hoped and prayed that it would wake her. It did not.

Yet, as I began to cry, I saw my father's hand twitch. I leaned over him, shaking him by the shoulders. His eyes opened, I laughed in relief. "Dad, are you all right?" I cried out, grasping his cold, pale hand. His mouth opened, and he pulled me close.

"Get away from him," my father whispered, his voice sounding strained, "before he kills you, too." Those were his last words. My head shot up as something beside me moved. It was Doctor. I cautiously edged away from him, trying to get to my feet as inconspicuously as possible.

He walked to the water's edge and said quietly, "It was the Kappa." I did not know how to respond. What was a Kappa? I glanced towards the lake and saw a ripple cross the glasslike surface. Memories of grade school flooded my mind. We had read stories about Japanese myths. Suddenly, I knew what the Kappa was.

"They were lying like this when I found them," he whispered. Before I could register what he had said, he dropped to his knees, weeping in anguish. "It's like all the others," he cried, "I've failed…"

His head drooped onto his chest as he repeated over and over, "I couldn't save them, I couldn't save them," his voice seeming shrill and young. His black eyes seemed to fade, becoming unfocused.

There we were, crying by the lake. What could we have done?

"What's going on here?" a deep voice asked fiercely. It was Gotz. I ran to him and threw my arms around him, glad to see a friend, or at least a friend of the family. He patted my shoulder to calm me down.

"Gotz, my parents," I choked into his shirt. He looked towards the water's edge and pushed me away gently. Howling in rage, he ran to their bodies. Doctor flew the coop, in a manner of speaking.

Gotz leaned over their bodies, trying to resuscitate them, but they were too far-gone. He looked up at Doctor, who stood at a safe distance away. "You bastard, what did you do to them?" he roared, his gentle demeanor suddenly shattered.

"Doctor didn't do anything!" I screamed, bringing myself into the fight. "The Kappa did it! Doctor did nothing!" I was crying harder than I ever had before, "He didn't do anything," I shrieked, falling to my knees beside Gotz.

"He never does," Gotz growled angrily, glaring at Doctor. The young man seemed hurt and frightened. I knew that there was something about that moment that I did not know. Something between Doctor and Gotz.

I could barely tell that I was still crying. Seeing my parents dead on the ground in front of me had numbed my entire body. I began to tremble uncontrollably and fell to the ground. As my eyes began to close, I could see Doctor standing over me, a concerned expression upon his pale face.

"Take her home," I could hear Gotz say, "I'll have to take them to the clinic. I'll tell Carter." Before my consciousness faded away entirely, I could feel Doctor pick me up and carry me away. It was so warm in his arms.

"Who did this to you, Kathy?" Gotz asked, kneeling beside my mother's body. "Why would the Kappa do such a thing?"

Doctor's grip on me tightened as we made our way through the grove of trees. With his face above me, the trees did not seem as ominous as they had when I was alone. Scruffy whined as she trotted along beside us, ever loyal to me. As the light poured in through the trees, it lit up Doctor's face, making his skin look so smooth…

He laid me down in my parent's bed. He must not have known that I had slept in the outside shed. My eyes were barely open; he apparently could not tell, for as he began to walk away, he paused.

Turning around, he approached me again. Leaning over, he kissed my forehead, but did not pull away from me. Reaching around, he put his arms around my body, holding me close.

A tear fell from my eye when I heard him say to the silence,

"I'm sorry."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three – Gone but Not Forgotten

Spring 3 – Thursday

I never would have expected to wear my mother's dress to her own funeral. I did not have much of a choice, though. I owned no dresses of my own, and the occasion called for it.

The town pastor, Carter, read from my mother's favorite book of poetry, by Emily Dickinson. As he recited 'Hope is the Thing with Feathers,' tears silently made it down my face.

Almost like a bodyguard, Gotz stood beside me, wanting to make me feel safe it seemed. It was not long before I was called up to say a few feeble words about my parents.

"This poem was my mother's favorite," I said, referring to the aforementioned poem, "and if she were here, she would be so thankful for having so many people that loved her and cared about her. Thank you," I paused. The whole town was there. All twenty-nine of them.

"As for my father," I shut my eyes to keep from crying, "I know that none of you really ever got a chance to know him, but if you had, you would have seen him to be honorable and strong. The sort of man that a family needs in order to make it through the fiercest storm." Doctor's eyes were on me the whole time I was up there.

"I believe we can all say that they are the hope that perches in all of our souls. I know that I will never forget all the lessons that they have taught me, and I also know that they will always sing the tune without the words in my heart, and never stop at all," I stopped, backing away from the crowd. Carter bowed his head for a moment of silence, but then asked anyone else if they cared to say any words of reverence.

Doug and Gotz both stood to speak, and much to my surprise, they spoke both of my mother and my father. I listened, but at the same time, I tried not to. I never thought that I would have lost them so soon. My only question was why the kappa would do such a thing. They were mythical, but real? What could my parents have done to anger such a solitary creature?

As Gotz went to put his arm around me to comfort me, I felt as though a huge weight had been lifted from me. As I glanced up, I saw that Doctor's eyes had left me. They were talking to Elli, the girl in the blue dress. I was not jealous, considering how Doctor was talking to her. Her eyes were filled with wonder, and it was obvious that she had a crush on him.

He on the other hand looked at her with utter indifference. As she finally gave up and walked away, Doctor turned his head and began staring at me again. I looked into his eyes for a moment, but then turned away, asking Gotz to walk me home. He consented and we began to walk away.

Glancing back, I saw Doctor trying to walk after me, but Carter halted him. Doctor's face became hardened, and Carter's expression grew tired and even annoyed. Putting his arm on Doctor's shoulder, he led him into the church. It was around 1:00 PM, and it was raining.

I sat alone in the house, on my parent's bed. Boxes sat on the ground, unpacked. Scruffy sat by my feet, her face on my lap. She whined, and I sighed. Nothing could possibly bring them back, I knew that much. My eyes began to water up.

No matter how many tears I cried, nothing could ever put them back into my arms. I would never get a kiss on my forehead again when I was sick. I wouldn't have anyone to comfort me when I was sad.

Horrible as I knew it was, I was utterly by myself in a house that would have been a home. Falling back onto the bed, I sobbed my heart out, and as I lay there alone, I cried myself to sleep.

It was a dreamless sleep, save for the rare occasion when a pair of passionate black eyes would stare out of the darkness.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four – Musk

Spring 4 – Friday

I sat up and looked over at the clock. It was 10:00 AM, and I was groggy at having overslept. A strange noise caused me to walk towards the door. Cautiously, I opened it and peered outside.

There was a strange crashing noise, and a feeble cry of shock. I looked towards the chicken coop and saw a somewhat familiar figure looking back at me.

"Who are you and what are you doing on my property?" I shouted at him. He raised his hands as if to tell me that he came in peace, but I stayed on guard.

"I came to talk to you," he yelled, "Are you busy?" I recognized him as Lillia's son, Rick, the dork. I sighed and ran over to the chicken coop, wanting to find out what he wanted so he would leave.

"What do you want?" I asked angrily. I seemed to hurt him with my harsh words, and his previously happy expression turned cheerless. "Hey, I'm sorry, but my parents just died. I haven't been myself lately. Can you forgive me?"

Rick smiled sadly and said, "Well of course I can. I suppose you don't really need to apologize, considering that I was in the wrong, but it's nice of you all the same." I was enchanted by his kindness; it was so different from Doctor's harshness and maturity. Rick seemed to be more carefree and sweet.

"You didn't do anything wrong," I said, "you just caught me by surprise." I glanced at the chicken coop and saw that the door was open. "What were you doing in there?" I asked. Rick's smile reappeared.

"Hey, wait right here, okay?" he asked me. I nodded and he turned to go into the coop. "Oh," he added, "and close your eyes, too." I didn't know what he thought he was doing, but I shut my eyes all the same. I heard the door creak open as he returned to me.

"Hold out your hands, okay?" he asked. I did as he said, and I felt him take one of my hands. He guided it towards him, and placed it on something soft and warm. I didn't know what it was, and thought about peeking, but I didn't want to upset him.

"What is it?" I asked. I had never touched anything like it in my life, and I could not picture just what it was. I could hear Rick chuckle as I continued to pet the thing in his arms.

"She likes you," he whispered. I laughed, and heard a sound. It was a clucking sound. I remembered Lillia talking about how her family owned the chicken farm right down the street from our own farm. Opening my eyes, I saw the chicken in his arms.

Snowy white feathers and a bright red crown, she looked like one of the prizewinning hens that one usually saw in pictures. She was the poster-chicken of health and contentment. I smiled and began to stroke her beautifully soft feathers with both hands. Looking up at Rick, I unconsciously held my breath. He was looking right at my face with and entirely indiscernible expression upon his face. It resembled the look that Doctor gave me, but it was softer and much more gentle.

"She's beautiful," I whispered.

"Just like you," he whispered back. Catching his slip, he stammered, "L-like your farm, I mean. Wow, look at it… it's wonderful!" Glancing halfheartedly about, I saw the field that was overgrown with weeds, with large stones everywhere. My barn was in desperate need of a paining job, and my pond was something reminiscent of a rotting cesspool. I couldn't help but laugh. Rick shifted his feet nervously.

Putting the chicken on the ground, he reached into his pocket. "I have a gift for you," he said nervously, "could you close your eyes again?" I did so and held out my hands, waiting. Something fell into my hands. It was small and light, and felt strangely furry.

A small peep opened my eyes. A small chick sat in my hands, looking up at me with big black eyes, peeping loudly. "Oh," I said suddenly, my eyes tearing up, "I can keep it?"

Rick nodded, and gestured at the adult hen on the ground. "Gerry here lays very good eggs, and this chick should grow up strong too. Speaking of which," he reached to pet the chick, "what do you want to name her?" I was shocked that I should have the honor of naming my first animal. I was confused and couldn't answer.

Rick saw my hesitation. "Well, I suppose I could name her if…"

"Kathy," I said. Rick gasped.

"Are you sure you'd like to name her that?" he asked me, "You might want to think about another name just in case."

"No," I said quietly, "I think Kathy is a lovely name for her. She's got my mother's eyes." I laughed at my own dumb comment and tried hard not to cry.

"No," he said breathlessly, "you've got her eyes." My eyes widened in disbelief. I hadn't expected him to say something so sudden and deep. He was looking into my eyes with his jaw slightly slack, as though he hadn't expected himself to say such a thing. His large glasses showed me my own slack face and wide eyes.

The chick continued to peep loudly, the only sound around us. He glanced away, blushing deeply. "I'm sorry," he muttered, "I shouldn't have said that."

"No!" I cried as I took his hand. He turned towards me again and our faces nearly touched. "No," I said sadly, "I'm glad you did." He smiled, and so did I, but our faces only seemed to grow closer and closer.

"Scarlet," Doctor said, "How are you feeling?" I almost fell backwards as I pulled my face away from Rick. The chicken boy glanced from Doctor to me, doing some quick thinking. He backed away, seeing a reasonable explanation for my sudden retreat; when Doctor was present, I was untouchable.

"I picked you up some lunch," he said smoothly. Seeing Rick, he said, "Oh, hello Mick, I hope you're well? How is your mother?"

Rick began to look nervous. "Oh, she's not doing too well…she's still getting her episodes. I don't think the medicine is doing much, though… she keeps taking it and she's still getting her dizziness. Yesterday she collapsed," he stammered.

"That's a shame. I trust the medicine will take into effect soon," he said, "you see, it takes a while for the healing properties to build up inside the patient. Only then will we see any progress." Rick seemed indignant about this conjecture.

"She's been on this 'medicine' for five _years_, ever since my dad left. Don't you think that it might not be working? Maybe we should try another medicine…"

"Well it's my expert opinion that this medicine is the only thing keeping your mother's depression from overtaking her like it did when you came to me. It's working just fine," Doctor argued. Rick still seemed displeased with the medical opinion.

"Her depression is gone, but she's getting sicker and sicker each day!" he argued, "Can't we try another medicine?" Doctor's eyes glinted malevolently.

"The medicine is fine," he said venomously. I felt like breaking the silence.

"Oh, thank you for bringing such a nice gift, Doctor," I said, "Why don't we go inside and eat?" I glanced at Rick and said, "Rick was just leaving to go help his mom at the farm anyway, weren't you, Rick?" Sadly, Rick didn't catch the hint and looked hurt.

"I suppose I should be getting home," he said sadly, "I'll bring some feed and put it in the bin for you. You only need to feed adult chickens once a day. If you need any help, you know where to find me…" He began to walk away, but I didn't stop him. I only wanted to keep Doctor occupied.

Once he seemed out of earshot, Doctor laughed, "Why were you hanging around with that loser, Scarlet?"

"I, uh, he, uh, he just showed up and gave me some chickens…" I said quietly.

"Well, wasn't that nice of him?" he laughed, "I suppose that seems a lot nicer than food, anyway, right?" Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Rick look back hopefully.

"Oh," I said, "no, not really. I mean, it's so nice to spend quality time with someone, you know?" I saw Rick give me a look before he turned and continued walking away.

"Wonderful," Doctor said happily, "let's go inside."

We set out the plates that Doctor had brought, and pulled out the dishes. They looked very fancy, but even more delicious. We began eating, and I asked, "This is really good, where did you buy it?"

"Oh," Doctor said, wiping his mouth unnecessarily, "I made it myself. When one lives alone, they should know how to cook. Don't you agree?" I bit my lip and looked at the food on my plate. Doctor seemed to realize his mistake and said, "I'm not saying that you should know how to cook or anything. Please don't misunderstand me, Scarlet."

There was something in his black eyes that just captivated me. They seemed to threaten, plead, and adore all at once. For a moment, I was wondering if I was truly doing this for the town, or if this was for me.

"Doctor," I began, "do you like your job?"

He froze in place, his eyes narrowing. "Why?" he asked suspiciously as he pushed his plate away from him. A thousand thoughts were racing through my mind. I wanted to ask him so many things, but I also wanted to touch him in so many places. More frightening for me, though, I wanted him to touch me as well.

"You don't seem to handle failure very well," I said cautiously, treading the ground that I was crossing carefully, "Is there any reason for this?" Doctor seemed to be searching my eyes for signs of why I was asking.

"I would have to say that it was the death of my parents. They both died right before my eyes. I couldn't handle losing the people that made me into the person I am today, and I broke down. I looked to the people of the town for help, but they had never liked my parents. I was shunned and ignored, and no one cared to listen. Well, no one but Carter. He heard me out, and he's been the closest thing to a friend I have ever had. I tell him things that I can't tell anyone else, and he doesn't tell anyone." Doctor's eyes stared into my own, relentlessly. I couldn't help but feel weak in his gaze.

"I'm sorry," I said breathlessly.

"You don't need to apologize," he said as he reached across the small table to brush my hair from my face, "I've been fine so far, haven't I?" My heart was pounding as thoughts raced through my mind. This was different.

Rick was different. Which different was better? Was this right? Why was he telling me all of that? Doctor stood and began to walk to the door, picking up his jacket from a stack of boxes. "I suppose you'll be wanting time alone," he said, "so you can recuperate. You can keep the basket, though."

I rose to my feet, knocking my chair over in the process. "No, wait," I said, feeling a horrible heat rising up in my chest. I felt sick as my head began to spin. Stumbling towards him, I fell into his arms.

Before I knew entirely what was happening, my hair was let down and his shirt was unbuttoned. The dreadful and horrifying heat was stronger than ever, and as he kissed me, I could feel some private emotion rising from my body, pressing me to go further, to escape the boundaries that would have been set had my parents been there.

Each kiss left a tingling sensation upon my neck. I had never felt this way before, and I couldn't understand why it felt so sickening and dizzying. He led me to the bed slowly, savoring every moment, every kiss, and every fleeting touch.

I lay down and tried to make sense of what was happening and these strange feelings, but before I could organize my thoughts, he was on top of me, pressing my body into the mattress. His breath was hot on my neck, and his bare chest glistened with sweat as he moved over me.

He hadn't tried to take off his pants yet, thank goodness, but at least he had taken that ridiculous mirror off of his head. He seemed perfectly content with kissing me and touching me, but I wanted him off. His slight moans of immense pleasure and pain reached my ears, but that wasn't all. Looking over his shoulder, I saw the most terrifying sight that I could have ever seen at that moment.

Doug, Rick, and Gotz were all looking into the window. Rick's mouth was open, and Doug just seemed embarrassed at having seen such a thing. Gotz looked murderous, however, and much to my horror, he walked in the door.

"HEY!" he yelled, sending Doctor scrambling. Grabbing his jacket, Doctor tried to hide his excitement, but it had already been not only quite obvious, but he was having trouble covering it up.

"What's with you?" Doctor cried out. Gotz glared, but then walked towards the bed, where I was lying, still dumbfounded.

"Are you all right, Scarlet?" he asked. I nodded my head, dazed still by the sickly feeling, which was fast dissipating. "What did you think you were doing? You barely know this girl!" I blushed, for Gotz was acting like my father would have.

Doctor had considerably calmed down, judging by the jacket, and he was in the process of buttoning his shirt. "Scarlet," Gotz whispered, "you don't want to go making a fool out of yourself. I'm just looking out for you, do you understand?"

"I believe she has the right to make her own decisions, Gotz," Doctor said, his voice rasping. Rick stood outside with Doug, and the both of them were whispering to one another. Doctor pushed past them as he walked out of my house without a backward glance.

A small pang of hurt hit my heart as I wondered if he would have looked back had we carried it all the way to the end. Doug and Rick entered the house cautiously. Doug ran to me and hugged me. "We were so worried about you," he said happily.

"Why would you all worry so much about me?" I asked.

"Elli came into the inn to get something to eat and told me that Doctor had left a little while earlier to come see you, and I naturally was worried about your safety!" Doug cried out, "I told you he was trouble!"

"No you didn't," I said as he nearly crushed my ribcage, "You were the one who tried to pair me up with him, remember?" Gotz and Rick seemed shocked at my comment.

"No, I told you that you should try to get closer to him so that you could crack his shell. You took it totally wrong! Now I find you two with your bodies against one another while he's about to crack something that is not only not a shell, but not his!" Doug scolded her.

Gotz pitched in. "You don't want to rush to something like that, Scarlet. It's not good for your future. What if you had gotten pregnant?"

"You guys are taking this WAY too seriously," I laughed, "what makes you think we were even going to have sex?" I continued to laugh nervously as they stared in disbelief. "I'm sorry," I said, "I didn't think that was going to happen, though, honestly. He just lost control and I didn't try to stop him. If there is anyone to blame, it would be me."

Rick heaved a heavy sigh. The two older men turned to look at him, as did I. "Oh, um, I brought over the chicken feed. Thought you'd like to know. I just, um, heard some noises from inside the house and felt worried about you. When I got to the window, I saw him on the bed and," Rick broke off, blushing a deep crimson.

Gotz and Doug saw the way Rick and I were looking at one another and began walking to the door. "Scarlet, we'll see you later," Gotz said, walking with Doug out the door. Once they left, the only sound was that of Scruffy barking at some birds outside.

"Maybe I should," Rick began.

"No."

I couldn't believe I had just stopped him, but I had. "I need to talk to you, Rick."

He didn't seem comfortable, but I told him to sit. Sitting beside me, he stared at me, waiting. I tried to talk, but the words seemed stuck in my throat.

"I don't care if you like him more than you like me," he said. I sighed, knowing that he had misinterpreted my silence. "I've liked you since I met you, even though you probably didn't like me. I thought maybe I had a chance with you back there at the chicken coop, but I suppose that was just wishful thinking."

It was sad, the way his eyes darkened as the light slowly escaped them. I felt guilty, as though I had just crushed his heart. How could I have? I had just met him!

"Rick," I began, "it's not that I don't like you, but I need to do this."

"Why do you need to do this? Why is it so important?" he asked me.

"He needs me more than you do. He doesn't even have a friend in this town except for Carter."

"No one in this town likes me." My eyes closed as I hoped he wouldn't begin a sob story. "Ever since my dad left, I've tried to be the man of the house, but I'm pretty much the most annoying guy in this town. I don't try to deny it either. The only ones I have are the chickens."

I didn't know what to say. "I don't have to stop, do I?" he asked me.

"What?" I asked.

He looked at me, his shaggy blonde hair turning golden as the morning sun shone in through my windows. "Do I have to stop liking you?"

I smiled. "No, do I have to stop?"

Rick smiled. "Not if you don't want to."

Our faces touched but not our lips. This was much deeper than a kiss. This was the realization of loving someone, but just not knowing it yet.

I sighed, feeling pulled between the tides.

One side of me was in love with Rick and his tender sweetness. The other side was in love with the maturity and passion of Doctor.

His black eyes remained in my mind, hauntingly, almost daring me to make my move. I looked to Rick and said, "We'll see."

That night, I locked the windows, brought Scruffy in, and bolted the door. Rick had helped me feed the chickens earlier, so they were content, but I was worried more for myself.

Closing the shutters and the curtains, I finally felt solace in my small haven. Scruffy jumped onto the bed, but I didn't make her leave. It would have been too cruel for me to do such a thing. She needed the company just as much as I did.

As I lay on my pillow, I tried to sleep, but I could smell Doctor's musk on my sheets. It bothered me, but I forced myself to sleep. Just as my eyes began to shut, I saw a dark silhouette against my drapes, from the outside. Being beyond my control, I fell into a deep sleep, but I dreamt nothing.

Nothing but a musk horizon caressing and corrupting me filled my head that night. The only thing that made me ashamed was that I liked it.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five – Familiarity Breeds Love

Spring 9 – Wednesday

As I began to explore the various parts of my farm, I found that everything was so much more complicated than it had looked. My favorite part of the day was in the morning when I took care of my chickens. It felt so nice sitting in the chicken coop, the morning sun shining in through the windows at the top of the building. Time seemed to stop whilst I sat with my animals. Already I had three chickens, two adults and one chick. The first was Gerry, of course, then Kathy, and then the chick I had named Re'anne.

I sat and tossed some chicken feed to them, sitting on the incubator's edge. One more precious egg was being matured into a beautiful chick. A loud crash brought me to my senses. As I glanced to the door, I watched as Rick walked in. This was the second time that he had come to the chicken coop in the morning to drop off some more feed for the chickens. I appreciated it, but I just didn't know how to thank him.

"Morning, Scarlet," he said with the smile that always made me smile as well. His sweetness was contagious, and I couldn't seem to get away from it, but perhaps I was drawn to it. So far, I had made a fair amount of money on my egg shipments alone. If my coop weren't so small, I would have opted to run a farm using only chickens. Rick had always told me that it wouldn't be a good idea.

I would ask him why not, and he explained that there was more to farming than chickens. I needed sheep, he said, and cattle. Not only that, I needed to become acquainted with agriculture. I never liked plants, so I was reluctant.

"Ready to go to the supermarket?" he asked.

"Do I have to?" I whined. He never liked it when I whined, but I did it to annoy him.

"Scarlet, you know that if you don't plant something soon then you won't have anything to harvest this season!" he cried out. I knew that he was right, but I explained that I didn't like the idea of trying to cultivate crops. "I'll help you," he said, "how about that?"

"You're on," I laughed. He beckoned for me to follow him and I did. Yet, as we left, I could have sworn that I saw a dark figure around the back of my property, walking towards the forest. I didn't bother with it though. It was probably Gotz. It was 8:00 AM.

"Good morning!" a high pitched voice yelled from inside the supermarket as we walked in. The greeting was followed by a loud crash as a shelf of baskets toppled over into a small and timid seeming man in a dress shirt and bow. He pushed them off of himself and waved at us.

"Hey, Jeff!" Rick said happily, "I brought the Fargrieve Farm owner so she could buy some seeds, is that all right?"

"Well of course it's all right, Rick," he said as he glanced towards me, "Though I must offer my condolences for your loss." I bowed my head to acknowledge his comment. That was all that needed to be said for that, though. Jeff led me to the seed counter and began showing me his wares. "Hmm, here we have turnips, cucumbers, and potatoes. Oh, and you cannot buy animals until you plant grass. What would you feed them?" He laughed, waiting for my answer.

"How much do you have, Scarlet?" Rick asked me. I pulled out my purse and glanced within. From my savings and what I had earned over the past few days, I had about 2000 G. Showing Rick my money, he counted and thought. "How much can she get for 2000 G?"

Jeff pointed at the seeds and told me what they were worth. For my first crop, I bought two turnip pouches, two cucumber pouches, and three potato pouches. We smiled as we walked out of the store and made our way back to my farm.

"So, what do we do first?" I asked.

"Do you have any tools?" he asked. I nodded, and he said, "All right, first, we'll need to till the ground. After that, we spread the seeds. After that, all you need to do is water them until they fruit, then you can harvest them and sell them to Zack when he makes his rounds."

"Cool," I said happily, "can you help me?" He agreed to help me, and we hurried back to the shed where I used to sleep. In a cabinet inside, there was a wide assortment of tools. Grabbing the hoe, he handed me the watering can.

"I'll do the tilling until you think you can, all right?" he asked. I was slightly offended that he didn't think I could do it, but I wasn't going to argue. He was offering me free labor, and I wasn't going to pass that up.

"What are you doing?" I asked once we got outside. He had thrown all of the tools and seeds onto the ground. It took me a moment to realize that he was untying his apron.

"You don't mind, do you?" he asked, "It's a lot easier to work when I'm not overheated by all these layers of clothing." As he raised his turtleneck over his head, my head seemed to overflow with thoughts that would have curled Doctor's hair. His finely shaped muscular torso, his small, but strong arms, and his shaggy blonde hair… He was like an angel placed onto earth.

"Oops," he said, reaching into the turtleneck, pulling out a white tank top, "I didn't mean to leave that in there, sorry." I could hardly hear him, much less understand him. If he couldn't work if he was hot, then how was I supposed to work if he was making ME hot? "Yeah," he laughed, "I know how to till land, because in the summer I'm the one that plants and takes care of the corn. Popuri doesn't do much, though."

He picked up the hoe and swung it expertly over his head. It left a perfect mark in the ground. He did it again and again, until there were finally six plots of tilled land. That would take care of all but one of the pouches that we had bought.

"Care to try?" he asked, handing me the hoe. I stood transfixed by his gleaming arms and his tank top that clung to his torso, soaked with perspiration. "Scarlet?" he asked.

"Huh? Oh, yeah," I muttered, looking away from him. He smiled brightly and led me to an untilled part of the land.

"Okay, you hold the hoe like this…" he said, taking my arms and positioning them correctly. "All right," he said quietly, "now when you swing it, you want to hold it like this and raise it above your head like this…" He was holding my arms in place from behind me. I could feel his perspiration soaking my own shirt, or perhaps I was perspiring. When he stepped away from me, I swung the hoe, leaving a sloppy but adequate tilled mark of my land. He laughed and clapped. "Good on you!" he cried, "That's the best first try I've ever seen!"

Turning away from me, he grabbed some seed pouches. "Can we plant the cucumbers closer to the house? It'll be easier to ship them that way." I smiled and nodded, watching him plant the seeds.

It seemed so strange; one moment, he seemed so rugged and manly, but now he was planting individual seeds into small holes in the ground. His hair was kept out of his face by a sweatband. His glasses were still on, making him seem all the more odd. He looked like a surfer with bad eyesight, but there was something so beautiful about him. It wasn't a physical thing, but it seemed to surround him, like an aura of loveliness surrounding an angel.

After finishing the cucumbers, he glanced up at me. "Aren't you going to finish the tilling?" he asked. I looked down at the hoe in my hand and, embarrassed, went back to work. It was easier than I had thought, but remarkably tiring. After only tilling six times, I felt sore and exhausted. Rick laughed as I sat down next to my work.

"Tired already?" he teased, "You've got a long way to go, Scarlet. Good thing for you that I'm willing to help you cultivate your crops and get in shape." I was still breathing heavily, but I was also shocked at just how healthy these townspeople probably were. Well, not Jeff; he looked like he had some sort of eating disorder.

"You're going to help me?" I asked. He laughed.

"Sure thing," he said, "when these are done, we can sell them and buy more seeds. Then I can help you till what you can't do, city girl." I laughed in spite of myself and began planting the turnips.

"Whew! What a workout!" I cried out once we had finished everything, including the watering. He smiled at me and picked up the tools.

"Let's go put these away," he said quietly, walking towards the shed. He put them away and went to grab his clothes. My happiness faded as he put the shirt over his head, and then put the apron back on. It was surprising just how thin and frail his loose turtleneck made him seem, and the apron added the touch that usually would have indicated a questionable orientation, but he seemed to be straight as an arrow.

"Scarlet," he said as he walked towards me, "would you like to come see our farm?" Such an unexpected question, I thought, but I nodded all the same. It seemed like such a sweet invitation.

As we walked to his farm, I began to recognize people from the party a few days earlier. "Hi!" I called out to a young man coming from the blacksmith's shop. He turned around and tipped the brim of his cap at me. He had a shy and trustworthy smile, which made his eyes crinkle at the edges. Gray, that had been his name, hadn't it?

Rick seemed impressed. "Wow, he never smiles at anyone. Lucky," he laughed. I blushed feeling quite flattered. We turned right onto a property that was tidy and cozy seeming. "Home, sweet home," Rick said as he walked to the mailbox.

Peeking in, he shook his head and shut it. "Dad still hasn't written yet…" he whispered, not intending for me to hear him. I did, though.

"Wow!" I cried out, "Is that a chicken coop?" The building that I was looking at must have been at least four times as large as my own chicken coop!

"Oh? Oh, yes, that's our chicken coop," he said proudly. "Would you like to see the chickens?" he asked. I nodded excitedly, and he led me to the door of the coop. "You're going to love this," he whispered before flinging open the door.

Inside, there were dozens of chickens! I was entranced, and as I walked in, they all began clucking wildly and running towards me. Rick laughed and handed me a bag that had been hanging on the wall.

"They want you to feed them," he said sweetly. I looked into the bag and saw all sorts of grains mixed with kernels of corn. Taking a fistful, I tossed it to the chickens, and they loved me for it.

"This is so much fun!" I said gladly, tossing a few more fistfuls of grains. Rick walked forward and picked up what must have been the largest chicken I had ever seen. Unlike Gerry, she didn't seem healthy. She just looked like a fat and happy chicken.

"Guess what she can do?" he asked. I shook my head and he leaned forward, "She lays golden eggs!" My jaw dropped.

"I thought that was just a myth?" I asked, "Is it real?" He nodded and went to her nest. In his hand as he returned to me he held a single golden egg.

"It's the same on the inside as any other egg," he said, "but the shell is golden. It's worth much more, as you might imagine." I nodded, taking the egg and examining it. "If you'd like, I'll tell you about the chicken festival. Perhaps you can enter a chicken in it soon. Would you like me to tell you about it?"

"Yes, Rick," I said gladly, "I would like that very much."

"And that's how Kella started laying golden eggs!" he finished.

"Isn't chicken fighting illegal?" I asked, glancing at the chickens sadly.

"It's not really fighting when you think about it," he said, "they just intimidate each other out of the ring." I nodded, understanding just what he meant. "So, do you like our farm?" he asked.

"I do," I said softly.

"Please tell me that I can hear those two words sometime in the future," he genuinely pleaded.

"Rick, do we need to talk about this?" I said exasperatedly.

"Well I would like to," he argued, "Scarlet, I think I've fallen in love with you. Your laugh, your eyes, the way you blush, it's all so beautiful. I never thought anyone in the town would like chickens as much as I did! This is heaven on earth for me, so please tell me that you feel it too!"

"Rick, I-" I stammered not knowing what to say.

"Scarlet," he said quickly, moving to get on one knee on the ground before me, "please give me a chance!" Before he could say anything further, we both heard a shrill scream.

"Rick!" Popuri cried as she ran into the chicken coop, "Mom's collapsed again!" Without a second glance at me, Rick ran from the coop and to the house. I followed, watching them as they picked their mother up and laid her on the couch.

As Popuri fanned her mother, Rick returned to me. "Her episodes have been getting worse and worse," he said worriedly, "we need to get her more medicine."

"The clinic is closed on Wednesdays!" I cried, "Where will you get the medicine?" Rick's face betrayed his answer. "Wait," I thought quickly, "I could get it!"

"What? How? The clinic is closed!" he exclaimed.

"Well, I'm pretty sure that Doctor would give me medicine even if the clinic is closed," I explained, "Just let me find him, and I'll get her the medicine that she needs." Rick didn't seem to like htat plan.

"I don't want to put you in any more danger," he said in concern.

"I'll be fine," I said as I turned and ran towards the clinic.

Running past the library and the supermarket, I ran towards the clinic. Knocking madly, I was greeted only by silence. "Damn it!" I cried, "Doctor! Are you in there! It's Scarlet! Let me in!" Silence. He obviously could not have been there.

"Scarlet?" Elli asked. I spun around to face her. "If you're looking for Doctor, he's in the library. He's always there on Wednesday afternoons." Hugging her, I ran towards the library. She seemed shocked, but smiled as I ran off. "Hmm, she seems like a nice girl," she said as she walked back towards her grandmother's house.

Bursting into the library, I say Mary and Gray talking to one another about a book. "Yes, I just finished writing it," Mary said shyly.

"W-well I'd really like to read it," he said shyly.

"Is Doctor here?" I asked breathlessly, not shy at all.

They pointed to the stairs and continued talking about Mary's book. I shook my head in annoyance and walked up the stairs.

"Doctor?" I whispered.

A thud and a rustle of books, and then, "Who is that?" I walked towards the sound, and saw Doctor sitting at a table, a stack of books in front of him. ""Oh? Scarlet? Why… why are you here?" he asked nervously.

"Doctor, I need to talk to you," I said calmly.

"Y-yes, we do need to talk," he accidentally stammered. Clearing his throat, he took a deep breath to calm himself. "I think my actions last week warrant an apology, so I must say that I am very sorry about what I have done. Could you ever forgive me?" I nodded and tried to speak, but he cut me off. "I took your kindness for granted, but then I took advantage of it. I feel so guilty, and all I ask for is your friendship."

"Doctor, I need to ask you something," I sighed.

"Yes, but so do I, Scarlet. You see, lately I've been thinking about what you've said to me, every bit of it actually, and I can help but feel that I do like you more than a friend. Scarlet," he paused, "I think I've fallen in love with you. The way you move, the sound of your voice, your eyes in the light of the moon, they are all so beautiful. I never thought anyone could even try to understand me! You know, I would tell you anything, so perhaps you could feel free to tell me anything too, right?"

"Yes Doctor, but I need to talk to you," I snapped.

"Scarlet, do you see what we have? It's a mutual attraction, so why should we deny it? I can see it in your eyes; you want me as much as I want you, so we shouldn't hide from one another, right? You do see it, don't you?" I struggled to find another way to say it, but I couldn't.

"I do," I muttered in embarrassment.

He sighed with a sound of exhilaration, "Oh yes," he whispered, "please tell me that you'll say that again. Say it in front of the whole town, Scarlet!" A loud 'shush' came from the first floor. That was right, we were in a library. "Please," he whispered, "let me love you." He leaned forward and kissed the corner of my mouth.

Pulling away, I said quickly, "Doctor, Lillia had another episode. She needs medicine. Please, Doctor, you've got to help her." Doctor stood, cemented to the ground in shock.

"Oh, is… is that all you came here to say?" he asked, that strange glint back in his dark eyes, "Well I suppose I could go get the medicine."

"Thank you," I sighed, "I was really worried for her. She doesn't look good." Upon hearing this, his eyebrows crinkled on his forehead and he seemed torn between two very difficult choices.

"All right," he said, "Come with me."

Doctor opened up a large cabinet and reached to the top of it. "Ah, here it is. I never thought I'd see this again," he whispered. Pulling down a dusty old bottle, he handed it to me. "Here's a different medicine. This might work better than the old one," he sighed, "Tell her that I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?" I asked reluctantly.

"Sorry that it took so long," he muttered, "Don't you worry about it, Scarlet." He sat down in his large black chair behind his desk and slumped over onto his desk. He looked like a large and tired dog, resting his head on his arms.

"Doctor," I whispered, "I need to say one more thing."

He glanced up and said, "Oh, really? What is it?" I could not think of anything to say, though. Either that or I couldn't figure out how to phrase it.

"W-why do you love me?" I asked without any pre-thought.

Doctor seemed surprised at the question. "Why?" he repeated, "Well, I think it's because no one ever loved me. My parents never wanted me. I was an accident. A result of youthful indiscretions. The townspeople never liked them, though I must say I didn't blame them. As a result of hating my parents, they hated me as well."

His honest words brought tears to my eyes, "Doctor," I said softly, "did you even want to be a doctor?" A long an awkward silence ensued.

"No," he said. Another long silence followed before he said, "You should really get that to Lillia before she gets really sick." I watched him as he sat up in his chair and rose to his feet. He escorted me to the door and looked at his watch. "I should be going as well."

I walked out of the clinic and he followed, locking it behind him. He was the only one in the town that seemed to lock their house. "Doctor, thank you," I said in relief, looking at the bottle.

"No," he said, "thank you." Watching him walk away, I saw him turn left and walk to the church. Walking through the doors, I watched him brush his hair back with one hand and smile at me. It was the sweet smile that I had seen him give me when we were at the inn. That was the smile that I liked; that was the Doctor that I liked. It was 1:00 PM.

"Oh, Scarlet," Lillia rasped, "thank you so much…" She sat up in her chair and inhaled deeply, "This medicine works much better than the last one."

"Scarlet," Rick said nervously, "he didn't do anything to you, did he?" His mother and sister watched us carefully. "I didn't want you to go."

I smiled and said, "No everything was just fine. I told him how worried I was for your mom and he went and got that big bottle there. He wanted me to apologize to you, Lillia." Lillia's eyes narrowed more than usual.

"Whatever for?" she asked.

"For taking so long," I shrugged. I didn't know what it meant, and neither did they. It didn't seem to matter much. As long as it worked, right?

"Can I walk you home?" Rick asked, sounding very relieved.

"I would love that, Rick," I said, taking his hand. We waved goodbye and walked through the doors and into the afternoon spring sun.


End file.
